Chapter 70 - Bullying.

In front of the Cat Izakaya in Choyo-machi, the standoff between Toga and the Gakusatsu Group was extremely tense, and a conflict seemed imminent. At this critical moment, Toga's attention was drawn to a yokai among the crowd.

A black robe, bandages, and a single crimson eye gleaming in the shadows—this combination on the yokai before him filled Toga with a sense of mystery.

"Who is he? Why can he emit such a scent? Why is he specifically emitting this scent? What does he want to do? Does he want to attract my attention?"

A series of questions arose in Toga's mind, but this was not the time to ponder them deeply. The mysterious yokai, in Toga's sight, subtly pointed twice with a bandaged hand. One gesture was to the lower left, pointing at the Gaki Dog held tightly on a leash, and the other was behind him, indicating the road leading in and out of Choyo-machi.

Seeing these two pointers, Toga's heart stirred, as if he understood something. He redirected his gaze to the Gaki Dog; its current state was highly unusual.

The tall, emaciated dog yokai was now clenching its fangs, constantly letting out low whimpers. Veins bulged on its body, saliva drooled from its mouth, and its fierce eyes were fixed intently forward.

Where the Gaki Dog was staring, at the feet of the yokai crowd, sat a small, snow-white fox. She was slowly gnawing on a meaty bone with plenty of scraps remaining, her expression utterly blissful, making the Gaki Dog tremble all over.

The white fox gnawed on the bone, constantly glancing at the Gaki Dog with tempting eyes. Her expression, her movements, every bite and lick seemed to be saying to the Gaki Dog, "Do you want it? Do you want it? If you want it, come and get it~" Spirit foxes are very skilled at using suggestion to bewitch hearts. Although Inari foxes, at Tsuruha's request, suppress this innate ability, Konkiku is different. Having long mingled among yokai, she has developed this ability very well, and it is precisely this ability that allows her to navigate the Demon Realm with ease.

More than once, she felt that if she hadn't been born on Inari Mountain, she would surely have become a peerless fox spirit capable of charming all beings. Being a spirit fox was simply a waste of talent!

The delicious meaty bone, combined with Konkiku's seductive hints, was too much for the dog yokai, which had transformed from starvation. With little intelligence, it wouldn't consider the situation; it only knew to follow its desires.

"Hmph... it seems you intend to resist to the end. In that case, don't blame me for being impolite." Approaching Toga slowly, Shushikai said viciously. He completely failed to notice the unusual movements of his subordinate's Gaki Dog. His appearance made Toga let out a sneer.

"Heh..."

"What are you laughing at?" Seeing Toga, whom he considered his prey, act this way, Shushikai immediately said angrily.

"I'm laughing at your... foolishness..."

"You, you scoundrel, just watch me now, or I'll..."

"Woof! Roar!!"

Just as Shushikai was about to make a move, the Gaki Dog finally couldn't resist the temptation. It suddenly erupted from its spot and charged directly at Konkiku. The Gaki who was holding its leash couldn't withstand this sudden burst of power and fell straight to the ground, the rope slipping from his hand.

The roaring Gaki Dog charged towards Konkiku. Due to Konkiku's deliberately chosen position, the vicious dog directly crashed into Shushikai along the way, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Come on... stupid dog..."

Watching the Gaki Dog pounce rapidly towards her, the prepared Konkiku smiled slightly, then picked up the bone and ran. Her escape direction was precisely where the group of Gaki stood.

The Gaki Dog was fast, but Konkiku was faster. In this way, Konkiku led the Gaki Dog, weaving through the feet of the various Gaki. The emaciated Gaki were knocked down one after another by the dog. As the fox and dog continuously raced across the area, the scene instantly descended into chaos, and everyone's attention shifted away from Toga.

An opportunity!

Seeing this, Toga, who had been forewarned by Miketsu and was already prepared, suddenly leaped up, directly onto the roof of a shop, and then quickly bounded away in the direction Miketsu had indicated with her second pointer.

Seeing Toga jump away, Konkiku, with the meaty bone in her mouth, quickly ran through the yokai crowd to the riverbank. Behind her, the Gaki Dog was still in hot pursuit.

Stopping abruptly by the riverbank, Konkiku flung her head, tossing the meaty bone from her mouth directly onto the river surface. The closely following Gaki Dog also leaped at that moment, joyfully catching the thrown bone in mid-air, then happily plopped into the river with a "gudong" sound.

Standing on the bank, Konkiku watched the Gaki Dog fall into the river, playfully sticking out her tongue.

"Go on and chew in the water, stupid dog~"

With that, Konkiku didn't linger but quickly turned and ran into the crowd, returning to Miketsu's side.

Back at the scene, Shushikai, who had just recovered from the chaos, looked up and immediately saw Toga's figure jumping onto the rooftop. Seeing this, his heart seized with urgency.

"What are you waiting for! Go chase him!" Shushikai shouted loudly at his subordinates who were scrambling to get up. Hearing their leader's command, the Gaki rushed forward, but as they pushed through the yokai crowd, they found a figure blocking their path. Read at Novels Haven (novelshaven.com)

Bandages and a black robe, along with that single crimson eye staring at him from the shadows.

Seeing this, the Gaki intended to charge directly and knock the figure aside, but unexpectedly, the mysterious yokai in black robes seemed to know all their movements in advance. With an unhurried shift of his body, he easily dodged the Gaki's charge, mingled among the Gaki crowd, and then subtly extended a foot, effortlessly tripping one Gaki to the ground.

As soon as this Gaki fell, a chain reaction immediately began, tripping all its surrounding companions. In an instant, the entire Gaki group tumbled over each other, but the black-robed yokai among them evaded all dangers that could trip her with subtle shifts in position.

This was the effect of the Yu-step performed by Miketsu. Guided by revelation, she evaded all dangers directed at her with only minimal movement.

Merely seeing the approaching crises wasn't enough. Through Miketsu's continuous exploration over several days, she could even use the Yu-step's revelation to see through cause and effect within a small range, knowing which causes would lead to which effects, and then deliberately trigger them. Just like that trip earlier, in Miketsu's eyes, the Gaki she tripped accumulated the cause that would make all its companions fall, and she only needed to trigger it.

At this time, the Yu-step Miketsu used only employed its divination and revelation function, without relying on spiritual power for acceleration, thus generating no spiritual power fluctuations.

Shushikai charged out from behind his subordinates through the yokai crowd, then froze in place. The same went for the surrounding yokai who had just turned around.

At this very moment, in their eyes, the Gaki who had just charged out so fiercely were all inexplicably lying on the ground. Standing amidst this pile of fallen Gaki was a figure completely shrouded in a black robe, staring in their direction with a single crimson eye.

Seeing this scene, the yokai were startled, all beginning to wonder who this yokai before them was. How did he manage to take down so many Gaki in an instant? Among them, some well-informed yokai, upon seeing the figure's attire, suddenly thought of a name.

Seeing his subordinates, who had just charged out, all fall in an instant, Shushikai's heart suddenly sank. He initially wanted to directly attack the opponent, but his rationality told him that this individual, capable of taking down most of his subordinates in an instant, was definitely not to be trifled with.

"Your Excellency, my Gakusatsu Group does not recall having any grievances with someone of your stature. Why are you blocking us here...?" Looking at Miketsu, Shushikai said in a deep voice.

Before Miketsu could speak, a voice cried out from afar.

"Lord Owl!!"

Under everyone's gaze, a small, snow-white fox quickly climbed onto Miketsu's shoulder, then, with a perfectly mournful expression, tearfully said:

"Lord... Lord Owl... Th-these guys' dog just bullied me... Konkiku is so scared, so scared... You... you must uphold justice for me..." Konkiku cried and spoke, her voice, expression, and actions utterly flawless, more real than reality itself.

Miketsu silently listened to Konkiku's "tearful complaint," then looked at Shushikai with her crimson eyes.